THE government is initially allocating P331 million to help farmers and fisher folk in Central Luzon, the region which suffered the biggest setback in terms of crops and fishery losses due to Typhoons Pedring and Quiel.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala made the commitment during his recent visit to Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Bulacan. The three provinces will get subsidized rice seeds totaling P209 million.
“Farmers whose palay harvest was totally damaged will receive free certified seeds worth P1,200 per hectare, and P600 worth of seeds for partially damaged areas. Farmers who intend to plant hybrid rice varieties may get an additional P500 seed subsidy per hectare,” said Alcala in a statement.
Figures released by the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed that the estimated palay loss in Region 3 reached 530,000 metric tons (MT) valued at P8.6 billion. Typhoons Pedring and Quiel affected a total of 281,754 hectares planted to palay in Central Luzon, of which 25 percent 70,844 hectares were totally damaged.
Nueva Ecija, the country’s major palay producer, was the worst hit as the typhoons affected 145,950 hectares of farmlands planted to palay. The typhoons also destroyed crops planted to 48,510 hectares in Tarlac, 34,970 hectares in Bulacan, and 31,130 hectares in Pampanga.
Alcala said the province of Nueva Ecija got the biggest seed assistance at P112 million, Tarlac will receive P35 million worth of seeds, followed by Bulacan and Pampanga with P33 million and P29 million, respectively.
The government will also spend P81.7 million to repair damaged irrigation canals and dikes in Bulacan, Pampanga, and Tarlac.
Fishers will also be assisted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The agency will provide an initial P11.8 million as assistance to affected fishers.
The BFAR noted that the typhoons destroyed 15,480 hectares of fishponds where 41,000 MT of milkfish, tilapia and tiger prawns valued at P1 billion were being cultured.
Based on the government figures, the farm sector recorded losses amounting to around P12 billion due to Typhoons Pedring and Quiel.
The two typhoons destroyed 760,207 MT of palay, or an equivalent of 494,135 MT of milled rice. Paddy-rice output for the second semester was reduced by 7.69 percent.
The government through the interagency on rice and corn is now deliberating on the volume of rice it will import for 2012. The National Food Authority said the government will consider the possibility of increasing imports after Typhoon Pedring damaged standing palay crops in Central Luzon, the country’s rice granary.
For 2011 the destruction caused by typhoons in the second semester of the year is expected to slash projected full-year output by around 1 million metric tons (MMT). The government had targeted to produce as much as 17.3 MMT for the year.
